QAnyone ever hire a lawyer to help pay old debts?

I am looking for advice on how to pay some old debts. I had a period of unemployment and fell way behind in paying bills. Some of the credit card accounts went into collections. They have been sold to so many different collection agencies that I can't track them down. Every time I have tried to call them to find out where the account is, I am given a lot of different numbers to call and the debt collectors I have spoken to are less than helpful in giving me an answer as to where the account actually is. The other part of this is I have been enrolled in a credit counseling service and I'm not sure if it is helping me. A couple of the accounts that went to collections are still showing delinquent on my credit report even though payments have been going to the credit card companies that the debt originated with. I don't know who can help me find my debts or get the money back that I have payed to the credit card company, but I'm considering hiring a lawyer. Anyone in a similar situation?